Creepy

I enjoyed this and feel that some commentators have rather missed the point. There is criticism for the inclusion of the evidence of the girl during the first half and also at the behaviour of the wife. In both cases there is absolute clarity and relevance as far as I am concerned but possibly the film is overlong and the feeling that there is nothing happening grows if the story is not fully understood. Even when there is no wham bam action I am always happy to see those strange little Japanese streets and houses and listen to the polite niceties as the tension builds. Worth a watch and the creepy guy is certainly as creepy as they come, also true life events are alluded to and there are echoes of recent terrible tales as this horror unfolds.

I had become interested in this movie because of the director and an interest in Asian crime movies. It involves a young former detective with a background in psychoanalysis turned professor helping out with the investigation of an unsolved case of a murdered family. In the meantime a creepy weirdo moves in as his neighbour, who gives odd, contradictory signals, but ends up getting close to the protagonist and his wife in a relatively ordinary neighbourly relationship, while still being weird and regularly thoroughly creepy. It is obvious that the movie is structured towards the revelation of the guy having something to do with the unsolved case, simply by the focus that is put on the interaction between him and the detective and his wife.

So far it's okay, and one would like to watch how it ends, however as perhaps too commonly with thriller-type or crime movies, especially with a hint of horror, the writing has frustrating aspects and is often positively baffling. Problems are artificially introduced, left unresolved and drawn out so that the film will have a full run-time. Characters behave in the most pointless, unintelligent ways, but only at crucial moments. This is typically related to an unparalleled lack of communicative or reasoning ability, coupled with an uncooperative or impatient colleague/super/witness/loved one etc.

More particularly in this case, the detective's wife is first creeped out by and careful about the neighbour, while trying to stay friendly to him, however when the relationship gets only slightly better, it is indicated that she seems somehow positively intrigued by him on a personal level, although there is no lack of creepiness and awkwardness of interaction, aside from a conspicuous absence of the neighbour's supposed wife (supposedly because of a depression), and although the detective is a perfectly good guy and there is no real issue in their relationship (in fact there is not much of any emotion or relationship drama in this movie).

More than that, the detective himself is strangely reluctant and inconsistent at following his "intuition" about the guy and simply ignores and doesn't mention to his wife that the neighbour's supposed "daughter" came to him and said it is not really her father but a complete stranger... Apparently casually dismissing this as merely eccentric behaviour or a joke of the girl, while merely vaguely hinting at it to his wife as something that "creeped him out".

And when the detective turned professor finally points a colleague towards the investigation of the neighbour, and this colleague quite foolishly directly turns up for an interview at his place, and then immediately turns up as a burn victim next to the two other people who died in the fire in the house right next to the detective and the creep, he fails to mention to the superior investigator that he had pointed him towards the creep (and of course has no relation to the other dead family) but instead merely mentions that the neighbour had the TV on while the fire was raging (which is deemed far too indifferent).

When he later mentions it after all, the superior ignores it simply (angrily, for some reason, what else).

In addition to this, a witness of the unsolved case is annoyingly uncooperative and uncommunicative, always running away, and unwilling to simply look at a picture and say if she knows the person. Her avoiding behaviour and inability to even stand (the f-- -) still almost makes one want to smack her as a viewer, however it also shows a communicative inability and overindulgence of those interacting with her.

Unfortunately that is just the beginning of the oddities, after this it becomes almost completely random.

Such issues of lack of intelligence come down to foolish writing and are simply frustrating, decreasing the quality of the movie, which otherwise is competently shot and acted.

Police Detective Takakura (Hidetoshi Nishijima) retires from the force after a disturbing incident results in innocent deaths, and nearly costs him his life. Now, he's a college professor living a quiet existence with his wife, Yasuko (Yuko Takeuchi). Takakura is teaching criminology, specializing in serial murderers, and it's not long before he stumbles upon an unsolved case that piques his interest.

Meanwhile, Yasuko meets their new, reclusive neighbor, Mr. Nishino (Teruyuki Kagawa), who is very strange indeed. As time goes by, Takakura is drawn deeper into the case, and Mr. Nishino reveals more of his unsettling oddness, culminating in a bizarre series of incomprehensibly horrific events.

CREEPY is a slow-building film for lovers of mysteries, crime dramas / police procedurals, suspense thrillers, as well as horror. True to its title, there is a definite atmosphere of unknown dread that increases as it plays out, along with several shocking revelations.

Something different in a genre full of by-the-numbers sameness...

Takakura is a former detective. He receives a request from his ex-colleague, Nogami, to examine a missing family case that occurred 6 years earlier. Takakura follows the memories of the only surviving family member from the case. Meanwhile, Takakura and his wife Yasuko recently moved into a new home. Their neighbor, Nishino, has a sick wife and a teenage daughter. One day, the daughter jumps into Takakura's path and tells him that the man is not her father and she doesn't know him at all.

Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has really carved out a place for himself in the world of horror cinema. He received global recognition for "Cure" and exploded with "Pulse". After some time exploring non-horror projects, he has returned with "Creepy", which blends American-style serial killer thrillers (such as "Silence of the Lambs") with horror themes unique to Japan.

And "Creepy" is what has come to be known as the "slow burn" sort of horror film. At over two hours, very little happens in the first half. We come to understand why Takakura retired from the police force, and we meet his creepy neighbor Nishino, who has very poor social skills. But not one instance of horror can be pointed to – no jumps, no ghosts, nothing out of place. There is a death that occurs as part of a hostage situation, but it lies firmly in the category of a police / action scene, not horror.

The slower pace and build-up might make the film seem like a thriller or suspense film rather than straight horror. Granted, it is a fine line, and there is a great deal of suspense in "Creepy". But the horror aspects make themselves known in the second half and we are treated to some over-the-top imagery that calls to mind Takaski Miike's "Audition". I will not give anything away here other than to say the manner in which bodies are disposed of is a way I have never seen in a film before. (And with thousands of horror titles rattling around in my brain, that's quite a feat.)

Prolific actor Hidetoshi Nishijima makes a great leading man, exuding confidence and charm. He seems to have a bad habit of roughing up those around him (perhaps he has forgotten he retired and is now a professor), but this adds a nice edge to the character. His wife is played by Yûko Takeuchi, who might be familiar to American audiences for her part in "Ringu". TV actress Haruna Kawaguchi, who plays the victim Saki Honda, is little more than a damsel in distress, but she does that well.

Of course, the real star of the film is Teruyuki Kagawa, who expertly displays an awkward way of speaking and moving. He walks like a social outcast, if such a thing is possible. And, of course, his eyes give him that "creepy" look. Americans who only know Japanese horror actors will be new to Kagawa, but he is actually a big deal in his home country – and following in the footsteps of his father, who was in kabuki theater. I would love to see more Kagawa in the horror genre, as he definitely has a non-traditional look.

Kurosawa has another winner on his hands with "Creepy". By no means would I expect this to become as big as "Pulse" was, but it clearly has the potential to go international. And if someone decides to do an American remake, it would only shed more light on this deserving film. (No remake could capture some of the aspects that make this film intrinsically Japanese, such as the architecture. But it doesn't mean someone won't try.) "Creepy" has its North American premiere July 26, 2016 at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

"Creepy" sneaks up on you.

For anyone who likes Japanese horror films or psychological thrillers like 'The Gift', see "Creepy." For those who like films of all kinds, "Creepy" is worth a watch.

The lead antagonist in the film is spectacular. He is definitely "Creepy." And while the title seems a bit obvious, remember, it's from the Japanese, meaning...creepy, I think. Not only are the film, subject, and characters creepy, the tension, darkness and terror creeps up and into you as you watch the film. Creepy is terrifying in a way that obvious gorefests, like 'Saw', could never be.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, no relation to the film master Akira Kurosawa, does an excellent, if not perfect, job keeping the audience entranced in the mystery of Creepy.

Teruyuki Kagawa is amazing playing the complex Nishino, the next-store neighbor of a former police detective Takakira, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. Along with his wife, Yasuko played by Yûko Takeuchi, they partake in a back and forth of ego, secrets, veiled threats and mystery that keeps the film moving. These actors, especially the neighbor, make this less than perfect film work.

What doesn't work in this film is that the characters far to often behave in obviously stupid ways and don't react in a timely manner to a threatening situation. I don't know how the police are trained, but when I get an open shot at a criminal that is threatening the lives of others, I take it. To sum: while the director is excellent at portraying the psychological tensions between characters and chooses shots and angles to enhance these tensions, the action scenes are awkward.

Rating: Pay Full Price.

Despite the faults in the film, the overall affect leaves one feeling and thinking something more than they did before seeing the film. That is what film at its best does.

Peace, Tex Shelters